Bottle capper



` Jan. 22, 1935. c. M. ANERsoN BOTTLE GAPPER Filed Aug. l5, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lllullll Jan. 22:, 1935. c, M, ANDERSON 1,988,771

BOTTLE CAPPER Filed Aug. 15, 1952 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 22, 1935. C; M, ANDERSON 1,988,771

BOTTLE CAPPER Filed Aug. l5, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheej 3 ZW .6 9 45 47g l@ 35 M y g5.

46 I l IKI a 7g 4 .7'

JQV/" mlm Patented Jan. 22, 1935 UNITED .STAT ES BOTTLE CAPPER n harles M. Anderson, Kenosha, fwis.

,Application .August 15,

5 `:Claims This invention yrelates ,to a 'bottle capper and more particularly to a hand-operated capping apparatus which is especially useful for capping milkbottles.

The primary'fobject-of the invention is to provide an improved hand-operated bottle -capper -Whichoperates more accurately and efciently than `bottle .cappers heretofore in use. Other specific objects andadvantages will appear as gthe specification proceeds.

The 2invention .is illustrated, -in its preferred embodiment, .in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 isa view-infside elevationof ,apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, `a broken secltional Velevation-taken as indicated at Aline-2 of .'Fig. 1, and-at the l'line 2.of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, anr enlarged transverse sectional tview, the section being .taken-as A.indicatednatline 3 Iof.-1=ig.'2; Fig. 4;, a .brokenfscctional View in=elevation, inthe ynature of.a.deve1oped view, Ithe section being ytaken at the line 4.0i .Figs.6.andl7; Eig..5,-abrokensec tional:l elevation similar tto ithatpresented infFig. 4, with the parts in the `position as when applying Vthe cap to arbottle;'-Fig.-,6,'a bottomplan sectional viewtaken-atlthelineof Fgffi; .'Fig. .7, a plan sectional viewtaken-attthe Aline ,Tof lig. .4,-showling the captransfer member at its innermost {position `of fmovement; Fig. 8, va view similar :to Fig. '7, Ibut showing ythe 1 cap-'transfer -member at 1its 'outmost' position; it'ig.l 9,: a i transverse sectional cview, vkthe'fsection'l being taken as'indicated at -line 9` of Fig. .'7 Vliig.`10,-a brokensectional viewshowing a modiedfformrof plunger head; yandlig. .1-1, ya*transversesectional-view, the section being taken uas'in'd-icate'datfline .11 `of Fig. 10.

In'thegillustration given, 4lli-indicates a hollow casing member; 3B; a' plunger 4sliclablymounted in easing fAfand'` provided with a handle -B C,a, cap ymagazine member; 'and D, cap-feeding mecha- :nism for transferring caps from; the magazine to the casing barrel. i H

,Thefcasing ,-Afma'y be'of anyfsuitable-construc- `tion. It preferably providesin itsupperportion 45 asmcoth bore '1,0 for' guiding the cap-,plunger -B. Below'thebore lOis an enlarged bore 1'1 adapted "to receivefa bottle cap 1f2 and to permit sliding fniovement'of Vtheiplunger head-13. At itslower end,the:casing is provided witha bell14 and-an inner stop `15,adaptedto-rest upon-the top of the bottle. .In` my improyedconstruction, the portion of the "casingbarrel whichv surrounds theplunger head :1'3 when it is vin its upper position, is left open at landl? so as to permit easy access to .the interioriofithebarrel.V Heretofore it has been 1932, serial No. $23.921 n, (c1. mense) `eustomarytohave this,portion ofthe barrel closed A(1e-provided.vvitha narrow l`slotzor aperture, ywhich yWhileaiiordinga.view of the innerworking parts', `.did :not permit ythe :operator to ,remove obstruce .tions, -such Y,deornried caps fand. lfthe like, gfrom 5 .the interior of the raising.

-The plungerBmayalso-be, Of-any suitable-com struction. As illustrated, p it icomprises a ztub ,18, 4211 upper end-,of whichfis imbedded within handle Bf and itheflowerfendtof Iwhich is ythreadedlyconf nected to head 13. The lower portion of :theftube .18 .is yslotted .at119 to permit the ,plunger -to .ride Axpast :the cross-,pin :20 tupon"which guide l pin ,21 is supported. A .spring :22 extends around-the-pin 21 and seats against .the handle 'portion :of the .upper end yof vthe tube. AItigidlyv :securedto .the -tubel is acollar 23=whichgisadapted1to strike the :upper-end ofa'casingAandthusfto serve as aistop for the plunger movement. n

The ymagazine C may --alsof'be of fem suitable menstruation. .Inftheillustration given,1thecylin l-drical body24qof :the 'magazine is :formed integral -Qwithcasing Aisothat the tWopartsereseparated by a common wall. ,The Wall25 `isl.imertured iat .-2.6 .-near :the fbase roffmegazi-ne se las Vte 11010- f .vide communication between the.bottomrof maga- A/zinea;andthe capbenrrellil. `Themaeafiine may `he.providedtwitha shoulder f2.7:adepted to support fthe `.tube r2.8 which-carries :a supply of eens- .If

desired, the maeazinermayrbe nmvded with ,a verticalzaperture-IZS. V

The cap r feeding mechanism :D :mayihe of any .suitable-.constructionby-which caps maybe-transferredifromthe. magaznefC lthrough the aperture 263into :thebarrel .11.1. I prefer toemplemfhowz ever, the :mechanism illustrated ,inwhich ga Atubularmemberraoeis rotatably: iournaled ;in :the .lues -31 and ;;-32-,-;which are formed integral -fwith feasing A. Preferably, ball bearings33 are positioned :on :oppositefsidesmf lug 3 2 'to provide easy rotary "i :movement .against fthe upward :or downward thrust. ,Atithe uppenendof-the1tubu1armember .30, asshownfmorerclearly in fFigs.. -2 anda, four ball pea-rings: 34, are; mounted within apertures 3,5 in lrthe :wall 'of the rtube and are confined vtherein by the tapered `-itzall `31B -offtheadjustment v,can -;37. By,mea.ns.of--the tapered .'wallsy, 4the balls 34rmay be held vrmly or loosely against the curved or itwisted blade.;38 rvoi Ltheactuatinggrod 39. -The upperendof-rod 39 is-securedrigidlyvto an exy tension A0 which is.;fo,rmed 'integral kwith the :collar-:23. In myimproved constructiomlgprefer to'have -only thegend portion 41 of-rojd v39 curved iortwisted-so as .to produeerotarymovement of pthe ftubular :member .3,0 only when fthe resi 3,9

approaches the upper limit of its travel. Fixedly secured to the lower end of tubular member 30 is a feeder arm 42 which is equipped with a head 43. As shown more clearly in Figs. 6 and 9, the head 43 is provided on its lower side with a slot'l 44 which receives freely the outer end of arm 42. The upper portion of head 43 is provided on its sides with guide grooves 45 and on its top side with a central groove or recess 46.

In order to guide" the head 43 accurately throughout the entire'limit ofits travel, I employ guide tracks 47a and 47h. As shown more clearly in the bottom plan view of Fig. 6, the outer track 4'7ab is a relatively long curved member extending f from the casing A below the magazine C and to a point some distance beyond the Amagazine C. It is preferably a fiat metal member which is secured by screws 48 to the magazine C and to a curved wall 49 which is formed integral with magazine C. The magazine C is also provided l magazine C through the magazine and up to the casing A. n In my improved apparatus, the feeding mechanism, and particularly the relation of the curved end 41 of af'ztuating'rod 39 with the'tubular member 30, is so adjusted as to feed the cap from the magazine tothe barrel after the plunger has seated the cap and whileit is being raised. For this purpose, the actuating rod 39 is practically straight throughout its length except at the curved end 41..v With this'l construction, when the plunger approachesits 'top position, the curved end 41 engages the ball bearings and rotates the tubular member 30 so-as lto throw the feeding head 43 toward the capbarrel.

In order to prevent the cap from being `retracted as the head 43 isv withdrawn, I provide a stripper pin 53 'which enters the recess 46 of the head 43 `and permits the head to ride past it but which engages the cap after it has entered the barrel and prevents its withdrawal.

In the modified form illustrated in Figs. '10 and 11, the plunger 18 instead'of lbeing threaded at its lower end and provided'with a separate head, is flared outwardly to provide a tubular enlarged head 54. Such a head has been found to reduce the cost of manufacture while'at the same time, affording a sturdier and more efficient construction because of vthe absence of threaded connections. In the operation of the capper, assuming that a cap has already been'fed tothe barrel, the

'plunger is'de'pressed so that the head strikes the cap and forces it to its seat on the bottle. Durend 41 of'blade 39 causes the feeding arm 42 to be retracted to the position shown in Fig. 8. After seating the bottle cap, the force of the spring 22 forcesvthe handle upwardly, at the same time raising by means of collar 23 and extension 40, the actuating blade 39. As the curved end'41 of blade 39 cornes into Contact with the ball bearings 34, the tubular member 30 is rotated so as to bring the feeder head 43 forward through the magazine C to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7, thus forcing one of the caps from the magazine' through is maintained always in accurate feeding position by the guide tracks 4'7a and 47D while, at the same time, the feeding head is protected by the curved walls 49 and 50. The latter walls not only serve as a protection but also as a means for supporting the curved tracks.

The operation of the capper is rendered more efficient and placed under less strain by having the cap-feeding operation take place during the withdrawal or raising of the plunger mechanism rather than during the seating stroke, as cappers heretofore have been operated.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, inl view of the prior art.

I'cla-im:

l. A bottle capper comprising a casing affording a cap magazineand a cap channel with an intercommunicating aperture through which caps may pass into the channel, a curved track provided by an integral extension of said casing and aligned with said aperture, a plunger in said channel, a tubular member rotatably supported in vertical position by said casing and equipped with ball bearings, an actuating blade engaging said ball bearings and having its lower extremity curved, means associated with said plunger for raising and lowering said blade, and a feed arm carried by said tubular member and engaging saidcurved track,` said arm being adapted to feed caps from the magazine into the channel.

2. A bottle capper comprising a casing aiordin a cap magazine and a cap channel with an intercommunicating aperture therebetween through which caps may pass into the channel, a curved track supported by said casing and in substantially vertical alignment with said aperture, a plunger in said channel, a tubular member vcommunicating aperture therebetween through which caps may pass into the channel, a curved track supported in substantial alignment with said aperture, a reciprocating member in said' channel for pressing caps into bottles, a rotatable member supported in vertical position by said casing and equipped with ball bearings, an actuating blade engaging said ball bearings and having its lower extremity curved, means associated with said reciprocating member for raising and lowering said blade, a feed-head slidably carried by said track, and a feed arm secured to the lower end of said rotatable member and having its free end secured to said feed-head.

4. A bottle capper comprising a casing affording a cap magazine and a cap channel with an intercommunicating aperture therebetween through which caps may pass into the channel, a plunger in said channel having its lower end outwardly ared, a tubular member rotatably supported in vertical position by said casing and provided with two pairs of spaced ball bearings, an actuating blade extending between said pairs of bearings and having its lower extremity curved, means associated with said plunger for raising and lowering said blade, and a feed arm carried by said tubular member and adapted to feed caps from the magazine into the channel.

5. A bottle capper comprising a casing affording a cap magazine and a cap channel with an intercommunicating aperture therebetween through which caps may pass into the channel,

a plunger in said channel, a feed arm adapted to feed caps from the magazine into the channel, a guide support maintaining said feed arm in alignment with said aperture, means for actuating said feed arm, said means comprising a tubular member rotatably supported in vertical position by said casing and provided interiorly with abutments, an actuating blade extending between said abutments and having its lower extremity curved, and means associated with said plunger 10 for raising and lowering said blade.

CHARLES M. ANDERSON. 

